The eight members of the Local Representation Committee were appointed by Mr Kneipp on Wednesday night at the first meeting of the amalgamated council.

Made up of four people apiece from the former Dubbo City and Wellington councils, the members of the committee are: Graham Ross, David Grant, Anne Jones, Kevin Parker, Ben Shields, Pip Smith, Rod Towney and John Walkom.

“It’s not a de facto council. It’s simply a committee to advise me on matters,” Mr Kneipp said.

“The idea is to provide support for the administrator in terms of advice but also just what they’re hearing out there. The most controversial thing so far has been the name of council so those kinds of things.”

Unlike councillors, Mr Kneipp was firm that the committee members were not a point of contact for the public.

“If people have got an issue with council I want them to come to me. It’s not a council role,” he said.

The terms of reference from the Department of Premier and Cabinet state members will be paid “at a rate equal to their remuneration as a councillor or mayor”.

Anne Jones was paid $35,040 as mayor of Wellington Council; former Wellington councillors Mr Cross, Mr Grant, and Ms Smith were paid $11,010; and ex-Dubbo councillors Mr Parker, Mr Shields, Mr Towney and Mr Walkom were paid $18,380.

The administrator said the representatives he had chosen were all happy to be on the committee.

“While most councillors opposed the merger overwhelmingly people have said ‘a decision has been made, let’s get on with it’,” he said.

There was an option to have separate groups for the Dubbo and Wellington areas, as well as an over-arching committee with representatives from both but as a merged council, Mr Kneipp said he preferred a merged representative body.

The committee will have an informal meeting once a month, most likely starting next week.